See Smells at CES 2018 with Aroma Bit’s Odor Imaging Sensor Technology

Dec 28, 2017

Aroma Bit


Ever wanted to see what smells look like? Now you can with Aroma Bit’s new digital smell sensor, which will debut at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Inspired by his long-time interest in “digitizing the last of the five sense we have,” Aroma Bit CEO Shunichiro Kuroki created a digital sensor identifies and creates visual “fingerprints” for smells. His product, which is set to retail for $150 on the market, will be available for testing and preview at CES.


Aroma Bit’s sensor assigns visual signatures to smells based on the various types of odor molecules an object emits. These visual signatures are shown on a grid-based display, where different colors indicate the molecular makeup of a smell. For example, dripped coffee, a café latte, and a café latte with honey will all have their own different visual signatures, but there will be overlap where there are similar ingredients (such as coffee or honey).


Dripped Coffee Cafe Latte Cafe Latte with Honey
Dripped Coffee Cafe Latte

Cafe Latte with

Honey


Although each person’s sense of smell— and their opinion towards smells— varies, the sensor provides an objective way to gauge the quality and value of odors. To Kuroki, the opportunities for his sensor are numerous:


The sensor is a natural fit for the home appliances market, where its ability to detect changes in smell would allow people to monitor food spoilage and food readiness in refrigerators, microwaves, and ovens. Individuals who have flavor preferences (such as burnt toast versus browned toast) could also modify the sensor to notify them when food is cooked to their preference.


The sensor’s ability to monitor the quality of food also has potential for the food industry at an industrial level, says Kuroki. Food companies could utilize the sensor to track the freshness of their products. They could also use it across multiple production sites to ensure uniform product production.


The product’s applicability even extends to healthcare, where healthcare professionals could use the sensor to detect diseases or potential health issues by monitoring the molecular makeup of a person’s breath.


In addition to developing a sensor, Aroma Bit currently maintains a smell database, which Kuroki hopes will become a “smell search engine” for users. Consumers would be able to take a scent from an item (such as wine, coffee or cheese) and search the database for products with a similar odor, allowing them to find new products similar to ones they currently enjoy.


One thing that sets Aroma Bit’s new sensor technology apart is its size and processing speed. The market-ready sensor is approximately the size and weight of a highlighter, making it easy to carry. In terms of speed, the sensor works “almost as fast as the human nose” when it comes to detecting and ID’ing new smells, says Kuroki.


Aroma Bit will present a breath-test demo at CES 2018 so attendees can see the sensor’s real-time response and output.


Although Kuroki has attended CES in the past, this will be his first appearance as an exhibitor. “Our primary goal [at CES] is to meet potential business partners and customers from all over the world…[we’re also excited to meet] and see how people react to our product. We’re very interested in how it will be perceived by U.S. audiences as we go global from here in Japan.”


For more information on the Aroma Bit odor Imaging Sensor, visit: http://www.aromabit.com/en/